Black & Grey Vol. 3 Chapter 7

Yoochan wanted to have lots of sex and dates with Jungeol in the two months before Jungeol went to the military, but he held back from saying it, not wanting to bring up sad topics in the hotel. Instead, he made a different excuse.

“I just want to go all the way with Hyung. I spent all my monthly allowance from my dad on a one-night stay here.”

“I know you use a credit card instead of an allowance. Taeho told me,” Jungeol replied with a smirk. Yoochan’s expression darkened, and he let out a deep sigh.

“The card is from my mom. My dad doesn’t give me much.”

Jungeol watched Yoochan fidget with the blanket and silently patted the sofa. Yoochan, wrapped in the blanket, shuffled over and sat down, laying his head on Jungeol’s lap.

“Hyung, you didn’t even wear the couple’s underwear today, did you?”

“No, I didn’t. I’ll wear it next time.”

“Come on, it’s obvious you should wear couple’s underwear on a special day like today. I wore mine. I thought of it as a good luck charm for the competition.”

Yoochan waved his own underwear that had fallen under the table. Jungeol stroked Yoochan’s head.

“We can match our underwear the day after tomorrow, and I’ll book the hotel for the weekend.”

“I want to do it now.”

Not getting the answer he wanted, Yoochan hugged Jungeol’s waist and protested. He tried to bury his face in Jungeol’s muscular abs, but a hard, long pillar stood in the way.

Yoochan had an idea and, remembering when Jungeol had undone a button with his mouth, he grabbed the loose tie of Jungeol’s robe with his lips and pulled. The robe opened, revealing Jungeol’s erect penis. Jungeol raised an eyebrow, amused.

“Hyung, don’t you want to go all the way?”

Yoochan asked, letting go of the blanket and grasping Jungeol’s penis. The hand stroking Yoochan’s hair stopped. Yoochan looked into Jungeol’s narrowing eyes and slowly moved his hand.

However, it was difficult to stroke Jungeol’s thick, long penis with one hand. Yoochan gripped the base of the glans and looked up at Jungeol. He rubbed the bulging glans with his thumb and stroked the veiny shaft with his other fingers, making Jungeol’s brow furrow.

Yoochan looked deeply into Jungeol’s eyes and slowly parted his lips. He took the glans into his mouth like a piece of candy.

The hand on Yoochan’s head moved to his forehead, brushing his short bangs and lightly gripping them. With his hair held by Jungeol, Yoochan shifted from lying on his side to kneeling, moving the hand that had been stimulating the base of the glans to grip the root. As he lowered his head and took more of the penis into his mouth, a hot sigh escaped Jungeol’s lips.

Remembering the parts that felt good when Jungeol did this to him, Yoochan stuck out his tongue and licked the shaft. He tightened his lips and pressed the glans against the roof of his mouth, making Jungeol moan softly. Yoochan opened his mouth wide and relaxed his throat to pleasure Jungeol’s penis.

The hand gripping his hair started to apply pressure. As Yoochan’s head moved down, Jungeol pressed it firmly. The tip of the glans touched the back of Yoochan’s throat, making him flinch.

Jungeol’s other hand slipped under the blanket and stroked Yoochan’s lower back. The ticklish sensation made Yoochan release the penis and sit up, the blanket sliding off and spreading wide on the floor.

Yoochan took a condom from the table, tore it open, and put it on Jungeol’s penis. Then he stood on the sofa, spread his legs, and sat on Jungeol’s thighs. He played with the condom-covered penis like it was clay, then stood on his knees. Holding the penis and positioning it at his entrance, Yoochan said,

“You’re going to make me scream again.”

“The soundproofing here is good, so no one will complain,” Jungeol replied, smiling as if Yoochan was cute. Yoochan kissed Jungeol’s smiling lips and slowly lowered his hips. The briefly closed hole slowly opened again, feeling sore. Yoochan let go of the penis, grabbed Jungeol’s shoulders, and lowered his body further.

“Uh… ah…”

Yoochan moaned, furrowing one eyebrow.

“Ugh… maybe we should do this next time, like Hyung said?”

Seeing Yoochan change his mind so quickly, Jungeol thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes. He gripped Yoochan’s half-erect penis with one hand and supported Yoochan’s buttocks and thighs with the other.

As Jungeol supported Yoochan’s body and stimulated his penis, Yoochan seemed to find it more bearable, biting his lip and slowly lowering himself again.

“Ah… ugh…!”

Yoochan closed his eyes tightly and wrapped his arms around Jungeol’s neck, hugging him.

“Ah, ah, Hyung…”

Jungeol’s penis gradually disappeared into Yoochan’s body. But that was it. At about two-thirds of the way in, Yoochan couldn’t go any further and buried his face in Jungeol’s neck, panting as if exhausted.

Even with just the insertion, Yoochan’s back was already soaked with sweat. Jungeol let go of the penis he was stimulating, grabbed Yoochan’s thigh, and lifted him slightly.

“Ah… ah, Hyung, don’t take it out. I finally got it in…”

Yoochan rubbed his forehead against Jungeol’s shoulder. Jungeol leaned in and whispered to Yoochan,

“Relax your body.”

Thinking Jungeol was going to pull out, Yoochan shook his head. But he couldn’t resist Jungeol’s persistence and eventually lifted his upper body, relaxing slightly. Jungeol grabbed Yoochan’s raised buttocks and lifted him until his penis was almost out.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Then he stopped at the tip of the glans and slowly lowered Yoochan’s body again.

“Ah… ah…”

Before even reaching the deepest point, Jungeol put strength into his arms and stopped Yoochan’s body, pausing for a moment before lifting him again.

“Yoochan.”

Yoochan, who had been keeping his head down, looked up at Jungeol’s voice. Jungeol wrapped one arm around Yoochan’s waist and kissed his neck. Whether from excitement or pain, Jungeol’s lips brushed against Yoochan’s reddened neck and collarbone.

“Huh…”

Everywhere Jungeol’s lips touched, red marks and light teeth marks remained. Yoochan’s lower abdomen, tensed up, trembled slightly. While Yoochan’s nerves were focused on the ticklish kisses on his neck, Jungeol, just like before, pulled his penis out to the tip of the glans and slowly inserted it back into Yoochan’s hole.

After repeating this several times, even when Yoochan’s body reached the point where the penis first touched, only hot breaths escaped his mouth instead of pain-filled moans.

Seeing Yoochan’s furrowed brow relax, Jungeol carefully made sure his penis didn’t go too deep and grabbed Yoochan’s back, slowly laying his head on the sofa armrest.

As the position changed and Jungeol came on top, Yoochan tensed up and tightly clenched his hole. To reassure Yoochan, Jungeol stayed still inside him and kissed up Yoochan’s neck to his lips.

His lower lip was licked, and hot breath touched the tongue that slipped between his teeth. Jungeol brushed back Yoochan’s hair, wet with sweat and stuck to his forehead, and continually kissed him deeply. As Jungeol tickled the underside of Yoochan’s tongue and lightly bit the tip with his teeth before sucking, Yoochan’s penis, which had been pressed against his upper abdomen, twitched.

“Mmm… ugh.”

Finally, Yoochan started to show a good reaction. Jungeol ran his hand from Yoochan’s chest to his side and slowly spread Yoochan’s legs with his knee. As Yoochan’s body opened to the sides, the tight grip on the penis loosened slightly, and Yoochan started to consciously clench his hole.

“Ugh.”

“Relax,” Jungeol said, looking down at Yoochan diagonally. Yoochan relaxed his hole slightly and then clenched it tightly again. Jungeol, who had been rubbing Yoochan’s side, gently stroked Yoochan’s penis and lightly kissed his cheek before adding,

“It won’t hurt. I promise.”

At the gentle voice, Yoochan finally closed his eyes and relaxed his body. Instead of pushing in right away, Jungeol slightly pulled his hips back and inserted just a tiny bit more.

“Ugh…”

Yoochan’s eyebrows furrowed and then relaxed. Jungeol brushed his cheek and stimulated Yoochan’s neck, shoulder, and arm with his lips as he slowly inserted his penis.

Feeling the soreness of his hole stretching, Yoochan furrowed his eyebrows and let out a thin moan. Jungeol gently shook Yoochan’s penis to relieve his tension. As the faint stimulation from the front slightly numbed the dull pain, Yoochan’s hand, which had been stiffly holding Jungeol’s shoulder, started to move little by little.

“Ah, Hyung…”

The hand with thick knuckles slowly slid from Jungeol’s shoulder. The hand that had brushed against the crown and rough mane like a scratch stopped at the fierce lion’s eyes and grabbed there. Jungeol spread his knees a little more and slowly pushed his penis in.

“Huh… ugh… ah!”

Yoochan grimaced at the unfamiliar sensation of something deep inside him. Just as he was about to open his mouth, something soft touched the underside of his hole. Realizing it was Jungeol’s scrotum, Yoochan stretched his neck and said,

“Did… did it all go in?”

Jungeol nodded and brought Yoochan’s elbow, still wrapped around him, forward. Taking Yoochan’s wrist and placing it below, Yoochan moved his arm himself and touched Jungeol’s abdomen with his fingertips. Slowly lowering his hand, he felt the base of the penis, almost fully inserted into his hole.

“Hyung… it’s really… all the way in. Completely…”

Yoochan looked as if he had conquered Mount Everest, his face filled with emotion. Biting his lip to keep from crying, he looked up at Jungeol. Seeing this, Jungeol moved his hips in a circular motion against Yoochan’s crotch.

“Ah… ugh… huh…”

Jungeol was about to ask if it hurt, but he swallowed his words when he saw Yoochan’s half-erect penis twitching. As Jungeol’s penis moved deeply inside, just rubbing the inside, Yoochan seemed unsure of what to do and grabbed the blanket beneath him.

“Shouldn’t we move?” Yoochan asked anxiously. There was almost no pain now, but the thick, long penis filling his insides kept his hole tightly stretched. He felt like if it stayed open, it might not close even after the penis was removed.

“Should we move?” Jungeol asked, his neck slightly flushed. Yoochan shook his head, unsure. Feeling good just from the insertion, Jungeol had no intention of going further and just moved his hips in a circular motion. He reached out and began to caress Yoochan’s body.

His delicate eyes followed the path of his penis inside Yoochan’s hole and his now erect penis leaking clear fluid, then moved to his tensed abdominal muscles. Jungeol’s gaze followed his long fingers as they traced up Yoochan’s body.

“Ugh… ha…”

When Jungeol pinched Yoochan’s hard nipple between his fingers, Yoochan let out a thin moan and twisted his body. The stimulation made his hole clench, and Jungeol grabbed Yoochan’s shoulder, leaning down to kiss his cheek. A pleased, low voice tickled his ear.

“…Do that again.”

Yoochan, who had been tensing his lips, looked at Jungeol, not understanding what he meant. Jungeol raised his head again and lightly twisted Yoochan’s nipple.

“Huh!”

The ticklish and strange sensation made Yoochan pull Jungeol’s waist tightly with his thighs, twisting his body and clenching his hole.

“Haah…”

The feeling of his penis being squeezed made Jungeol furrow his brow and exhale hotly, then bite Yoochan’s chin hard.

“Huh!”

As Yoochan moaned, he met Jungeol’s excited eyes. At that moment, Jungeol’s penis twitched and pulled out, scraping the inner walls. And then,

“Ah!”

With a sound of flesh slapping, Yoochan let out a moan. Before he could catch his breath, the penis that had pulled out thrust back in, stirring deep inside him.

“Huh! Hyung!”

A drop of saliva dripped from Yoochan’s open mouth. Jungeol grabbed Yoochan’s chin tightly and licked the saliva. Then he turned his head and pushed his tongue deep into Yoochan’s mouth.

Even with their mouths locked in a kiss, Yoochan’s voice escaped desperately. Already breathless from moaning, the added kiss made Yoochan grasp Jungeol’s back in discomfort.

“Huh! Huh! Ugh…! Ah…!”

Yoochan shook his head and finally pulled his lips away, grabbing Jungeol’s shoulder tightly. Even in that moment, Yoochan’s short, quick moans echoed as the penis, pulled out to the tip of the glans, stirred his insides.

“Hua! Ah! Ah…!”

Jungeol, lifting his wet eyelashes, looked closely at Yoochan’s face while moving his hips roughly and continuously, as if releasing all the desire he had been holding back.

“Ah! Ugh…! Ah…! Hyung…!”

The sharp sensation rising from his lower abdomen to the crown of his head quickly contorted Yoochan’s face.

“Huh! Huh! Ugh! Ugh! Ah! Huh! Huh…”

As Jungeol began to thrust shallowly and quickly, Yoochan’s moans became lighter.

“Huh! Ugh! Ah! Ah…! Ah! Ah! Ugh! Huh…”

The entrance, glistening with oil and sweat, melted away, and every time the thick penis brushed against it, a thrilling sensation sparked like a flame. Each time the penis rubbed against his firm abs, his vision flashed white. Then, something started from the entrance that had been constantly rubbed by the penis.

“Huh! Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! Ha! Ah…! Ah…!”

The thrilling sensation that swept through his insides and up his spine quickly reached the crown of his head. His penis, stimulated and pressed between their hard abs, twitched, and Yoochan stretched his legs and twisted his body.

“Ah! Huh…”

The moment Yoochan tightly gripped Jungeol’s leg, his penis throbbed heavily.

“Huh!”

With a short moan, Yoochan ejaculated. His semen splattered across his stomach and chest, where Jungeol’s body touched. Jungeol, with no intention of wiping off the semen, pulled Yoochan’s neck with his arm and pushed the half-inserted penis all the way in. The sensitive body that had just ejaculated was stimulated again, and Yoochan let out a crying sound.

“Hyung… please… just a moment… a moment…”

Jungeol, as if to say it’s okay, pulled the arm wrapped around his neck and kissed Yoochan. Before Yoochan could even ask for a moment’s rest, Jungeol blocked his lips with a kiss, grabbed his thigh tightly, and pushed his hips deep inside, stirring his penis in the softened insides.

“Huh! Ugh!”

With his sensitive spots being pressed, Yoochan writhed and pushed the soles of his feet against the sofa with all his might.

A sobbing sound resonated between the two. Jungeol, half-opening his eyes and furrowing his brow, looked at his lover’s face as he moved his hips. The stimulation was too much for Yoochan’s sensitive post-orgasm body, and tears already welled up in his eyes.

Jungeol’s hips stopped, and his lips parted. Yoochan struggled to open his eyelids. Jungeol gently wiped away the tears from Yoochan’s eyes with a soft touch.

Slowly blinking and feeling Jungeol’s tenderness, Yoochan saw his penis half-erect again and closed his eyes tightly, exhausted. He was on the verge of losing his mind from being stimulated again so soon after ejaculating.

Jungeol gently brushed Yoochan’s cheek with the back of his hand and sat up.

Thinking he could finally take a break, Yoochan tried to close his legs but was stopped by Jungeol’s arm.

Yoochan looked up in surprise. Jungeol, who had lightly wiped the mix of semen and sweat from his stomach with his palm, looked down at Yoochan with a meaningful gaze and said something unbelievable.

“Lie on your stomach.”

“H-Hyung…?”

The brief protest was useless. Jungeol made Yoochan kneel facing the back of the sofa. A hard, hot chest pressed against his back, and his calves spread apart, exposing his muscular buttocks.

As Yoochan gripped the back of the sofa, Jungeol’s arm slipped under his armpit and hugged his chest. The moment their bodies pressed tightly together, Jungeol thrust his penis in forcefully.

“Huh! Ugh…! Ugh…!”

Yoochan tried to clench his hole, but it was no use. The hole, softened and having taken the large penis several times, easily accepted Jungeol again.

“Ha! Ugh!”

Jungeol placed his other hand over Yoochan’s hand gripping the sofa, holding him even tighter. With their bodies pressed tightly together, Yoochan couldn’t move as Jungeol continually thrust his penis into him.

“Huh! Ugh! Ugh…! Ah…! Ah…!”

Having ejaculated once, Yoochan felt even more sensitive and kept collapsing forward.

“Ugh! Ah…! Ah! Ugh…! Ah…!”

Jungeol, who had been catching Yoochan several times to keep him from falling, finally let him lie on the back of the sofa and moved his hips while holding his body.

“Ah! Ah! Ugh! Huh…! Ugh…! Ugh…!”

Yoochan could no longer respond and just lay on the back of the sofa, moaning.

“Huh! Huh! Ugh! Ugh! Ah…! Ah! Ah! Ugh! Ugh…!”

Unable to open his eyes, Yoochan kept crying out. The hand that had been caressing his waist from behind moved down and gripped his penis. Yoochan tried to shake his head, scared of more stimulation, but Jungeol leaned down and turned his head for a kiss, leaving him unable to express anything.

Jungeol’s penis continued to stir Yoochan’s body. His feet, barely supporting him, felt like they were being electrocuted, and his buttocks, hitting Jungeol’s rock-hard body, felt numb. Every time Jungeol thrust from behind, his penis rubbed against the soft sofa fabric, tickling him. The constant stimulation of his prostate by the glans and the long shaft made Yoochan feel like he just wanted to pass out.

“Huh… ugh… ugh… huh!”

By the time Yoochan’s cheeks were soaked with tears, Jungeol bit the skin just above his leopard tattoo and pushed his penis deep inside. Yoochan, feeling like his hips were being torn apart, squinted as Jungeol quietly moaned and pushed his hips all the way in.

Feeling Jungeol’s body lightly tremble against his back, Yoochan realized Jungeol had ejaculated and closed his eyes.

The arm that had been deeply inserted hugged his waist, and the teeth that had been biting his shoulder released, replaced by a soft tongue on the stinging area. Yoochan, unable to resist his drowsiness, collapsed onto the sofa. The lips that had been licking his shoulder moved to his neck, sucking on it.

Jungeol’s penis was still inside Yoochan’s hole. Yoochan felt Jungeol slowly moving his hips, enjoying the afterglow, and eventually passed out from exhaustion.

* * *

The hand stroking his head moved down to his shoulder. The gentle touch on his trapezius muscle woke Yoochan from his deep sleep. Groggily, he stared at the large window with a view of the outside. Looking at the fingers of the arm he was using as a pillow, he slowly turned his body around.

“…What time is it?” Yoochan asked, burying his face in Jungeol’s broad chest and hugging his muscular body. The freed arm moved up, and a soft voice came from above his head.

“Half past twelve.”

“Already?” Yoochan lifted his head in surprise.

“Doesn’t that mean we’re late? Jaehyeok Hyung said he would only wait until twelve.”

“He texted. He said he’ll watch Gaang until one-thirty, so we should get up soon.”

Yoochan sighed deeply, burrowing deeper into Jungeol’s embrace, not wanting to wake up. The hand that had been stroking his shoulder moved down to his back, rubbing it.

“Sleepy? Should I carry you down?” Jungeol teased, tickling his ear with sweet words. Yoochan laughed loudly. The thought of Jungeol carrying him to the parking lot was amusing. At 187cm tall himself and Jungeol at 191cm, they would look more like a bear and a bear hunter than a loving gay couple.

Jungeol, amused by Yoochan’s sudden laughter, got up, his shoulder sore from hours of being a pillow. Seeing Jungeol stretch, Yoochan also got up with a loud “Hup!”

He seemed to have fallen asleep without properly washing, but his body felt relatively clean. Jungeol must have wiped him down while he was asleep.

Yoochan looked at Jungeol. Wearing only pants, Jungeol picked up his shirt from the sofa and put it on, looking fresh as if he had already showered. Yoochan, still half-asleep, looked at him admiringly.

“Aren’t you tired, Hyung?”

“I’m tired,” Jungeol said calmly, buttoning his shirt and ruffling Yoochan’s hair.

“Let’s go home and sleep quickly.”

As Jungeol messed up his hair, Yoochan suddenly opened his eyes wide and asked,

“Are you staying at our place tonight? With Gaang too?”

“Yeah, it’s late, so I think I should.”

Jungeol answered, placing Yoochan’s pants on the bed.

“Yes!” Yoochan exclaimed, jumping up and eagerly putting on his pants.

“Then we can finish the rest of our rounds at home.”

“What rounds?” Jungeol asked, finding Yoochan’s phone on the floor and placing it on the bed. Yoochan, who had been thinking of the number 199, flinched and then shrugged, pretending it was nothing.

Yoochan thought he wouldn’t be able to fall back asleep after hearing that Jungeol was staying over, but he was wrong. As soon as he got into the passenger seat, he turned on music and talked to Jungeol to keep him from getting sleepy. But within a few minutes, as the car waited at a crosswalk, Yoochan fell asleep again.

After the car engine turned off and the surroundings quieted, Yoochan finally woke up from his deep sleep. For a moment, he was disoriented, but seeing the familiar structure of the underground parking lot through the car window, he realized they had arrived at the officetel building. Yoochan let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.

“Sorry for falling asleep alone,” Yoochan said, expecting Jungeol to reassure him, but there was no response from the driver’s seat. He looked over and saw that the driver’s seat was empty. Yoochan looked around in confusion and spotted the smart key on the driver’s seat.

Closing the car door, he walked towards the emergency exit just as the elevator doors opened, revealing Jungeol.

“Hyung,” Yoochan said, happy to see him. But his attention quickly shifted to Gaang, who was wagging his tail at Jungeol’s feet. Yoochan bent down, and Gaang excitedly nuzzled his head against him, jumping up and down. Yoochan carefully stood up, avoiding Gaang’s hard head, and entered the elevator.

“Did you go get Gaang? I woke up and you weren’t there, so I got worried,” Yoochan asked.

“Yeah, Jaehyeok said he had to go. Did you wake up a bit now?” Jungeol replied.

“Yes, I slept well,” Yoochan said, smiling and picking up Gaang.

Back at the officetel, while Jungeol prepared for bed, Yoochan took a quick shower and changed into comfortable clothes. The couple pajamas they had matched earlier were a bit small and uncomfortable to sleep in, so they opted for something more comfortable. Gaang naturally squeezed between them on the bed.

Yoochan thought about how to get Gaang off the bed so they could continue their plan of having sex 199 more times over the next two months. But as he thought about it, his eyelids grew heavy, and he dozed off.

Yoochan shook his head to clear his mind and determinedly reached over Gaang to hug Jungeol. Feeling the contours of Jungeol’s chest through his t-shirt, he playfully ran his fingers over it, accidentally touching Gaang’s snout. Jungeol, who had been playing with Gaang’s muzzle, looked up at Yoochan.

Yoochan slowly blinked and sneakily moved his hand down, slipping it between Jungeol’s firm thighs. Although Yoochan was trying to seduce him, Jungeol laughed instead.

“If you want to do more, you should wake up first,” Jungeol teased.

“…I’m not sleepy. I just need to rest for ten minutes and I’ll be fine,” Yoochan insisted, even though he looked exhausted. Jungeol found this amusing and smirked. Yoochan continued to touch Jungeol’s waist, adding,

“Just wait a moment… Just ten minutes. No, twenty minutes. Okay.”

“…….”

“We need to do it twice a day… 199 times left… Ah… I’m so sleepy, Hyung…”

“What do you mean by ‘199 times left’?” Jungeol asked, leaning towards Yoochan, confused by the number. But Yoochan, already at his limit, frowned and dropped his head onto the pillow, mumbling,

“Ha… Then three times tomorrow…”

After muttering this, Yoochan fell silent. Jungeol called his name softly a few times but realized his lover was deeply asleep. He lay down next to him, using his arm as a pillow. The sound of Gaang’s tail brushing against the sheets reached their ears.

Some time later, Gaang started whimpering. Yoochan, who had been sleeping deeply, woke up to the sound of the blanket rustling and the small animal’s cough-like noises. He lifted the blanket and saw Jungeol asleep with Gaang scratching at his arm, trying to wake him.

“Gaang, what’s wrong again?” Yoochan said, sitting up and picking up Gaang, placing him on his thigh.

“Stop it. Jungeol Hyung is tired from driving,” Yoochan scolded gently, petting Gaang’s head until he calmed down. He hugged Gaang tightly and lay back down, but his hand slowly stopped moving as he grew sleepier. Feeling Gaang slip out of his arms, Yoochan opened his eyes slightly and saw Gaang licking Jungeol’s lips again.

“…Stop it,” Jungeol mumbled, turning his head away and covering his eyes with his arm. Yoochan, giving up, got out of bed and put a leash on Gaang. The sound of the officetel door closing was not heard by Jungeol.

A few hours later, Jungeol woke up feeling refreshed. Although he had no morning plans, he felt well-rested, unlike other days when he struggled to sleep. He sat up and saw Yoochan lying naked and sprawled out beside him, deeply asleep.

Jungeol hesitated to wake Yoochan, noticing how tired he looked with dark circles under his eyes, likely from the judo tournament and their hotel date. He also spotted Gaang sleeping on the floor, unusually quiet. Normally, Gaang would wake Jungeol several times a night, but today he was silent, sleeping deeply on a chair away from the bed.

Jungeol realized that Yoochan must have taken Gaang for a walk early in the morning, seeing the leash stretched from the living room to the bedroom. He smiled, picked up the leash, and placed it on the desk. Approaching the bed, he saw that Yoochan didn’t stir even when Jungeol’s shadow fell over him. Jungeol debated waking him, then gently brushed Yoochan’s forehead and kissed it before getting up.

Gaang’s ears perked up at the sound of Jungeol’s footsteps. Jungeol petted Gaang’s short, stiff fur and went to the living room. He turned on the TV, muted it, and looked for his exercise equipment. Finding only a large piece of equipment by the mattress, he went upstairs but couldn’t find his dumbbells or push-up bar. He decided not to wake Yoochan and searched the storage cabinets instead.

In a deep cabinet, he found his dumbbells and push-up bar. As he reached for them, he noticed a transparent white envelope containing something unidentifiable and a black box that looked like a shoe case. The box had English letters on it, which Jungeol recognized as the brand of his tattoo machine. He frowned, puzzled.

Yoochan woke up needing to use the restroom and stopped in the living room, seeing a large shadow moving up and down in the dark. He turned on the light and saw Jungeol exercising.

“Oh, you’re up?” Jungeol glanced at him, sweat beading on his forehead, and resumed his push-ups.

“Aren’t you sleepy, Hyung?” Yoochan asked, standing between the bedroom and living room.

“I’m fine. What about you?”

“…I’m fine too,” Yoochan lied, feeling tired but not wanting to admit it. He looked at the clock; it was just past seven. He approached Jungeol, noticing the push-up bar in his hand.

“Hyung, where did you find this?” Yoochan asked, pointing at the dumbbell.

“In the cabinet at the end of the second floor.”

“Oh, I put it there,” Yoochan said, remembering he had stored his secret tattoo machine practice equipment there too. He glanced at Jungeol, who seemed focused on his workout.

‘Did he not notice the tattoo machine?’ Yoochan wondered, relieved that Jungeol hadn’t mentioned it. He started stretching next to Jungeol.

Jungeol finished his push-ups, stretched his shoulders, and looked at Yoochan.

“Why?” Yoochan asked, smiling innocently. Jungeol hesitated, then decided not to mention the tattoo machine.

“You want me to get on your back?” Jungeol asked, amused.

“Yes. Come on, Hyung. Let’s see if I can do push-ups with you on my back,” Yoochan challenged, getting into a push-up position.

“I don’t think so. I weigh over 90kg.”

“That’s perfect. Come on, don’t worry, I can handle it,” Yoochan insisted.

Jungeol, still doubtful, climbed onto Yoochan’s back, and Yoochan started doing push-ups with Jungeol’s weight on him.

“Oh, come on, don’t mess around,” Yoochan said, spitting slightly and raising his voice, feeling his pride hurt by Jungeol’s half-hearted attempt to sit on him.

“Seriously, lift your legs properly and get on. Don’t you trust me, Hyung?”

Jungeol, still worried, furrowed his brow and tentatively lifted one leg. Yoochan seemed to hold up, so Jungeol lifted his other foot off the ground. Yoochan’s arms started to tremble, and his face quickly turned red. He let out shallow breaths and slowly began to bend his arms.

With a thud, Yoochan’s body collapsed to the floor.

“Did you hurt your chin?” Jungeol asked, quickly standing up and bending his knees to sit, looking concerned.

“…Oh, I’m fine,” Yoochan muttered, burying his face in his arms. He had managed to turn his head while falling, so thankfully he hadn’t hurt his nose or chin, but he felt embarrassed and couldn’t lift his face. He had done this with a 65kg friend at school and succeeded, but he hadn’t expected an extra 25kg to make such a big difference.

Jungeol reassured him that it was okay and extended his hand to help Yoochan up. Yoochan peeked out from under his arms like a turtle, looking sullen.

“…Are you disappointed?” Yoochan asked.

Jungeol straightened up, looking confused. “What do you mean?”

Yoochan buried his face in his arms again and said in a gloomy voice, “I’m a physical education student, and I can’t even do push-ups properly.”

Jungeol chuckled. “You think I’m disappointed because you couldn’t do push-ups with me on your back? No way.”

Relieved, Yoochan rolled over and lay flat on his back, looking up at Jungeol. “I can do it at school, but Hyung, you’re really heavy. Doing it with girls is a piece of cake.”

“Girls?” Jungeol raised an eyebrow, his lips tightening slightly.

Yoochan, oblivious, nodded confidently. “Yeah, the girls in our department weigh around 60kg at most. It’s really not that hard.”

Realizing his mistake too late, Yoochan quickly added, “Oh, I didn’t actually carry them. They just sat on me like you did just now. I didn’t even take my shirt off. Really. Our skin didn’t touch at all.”

Jungeol’s expression softened, understanding. Yoochan, relieved, suddenly looked excited and sat up on his knees. “Want to see me do 58 push-ups in a minute?”

Without waiting for an answer, Yoochan set a timer on Jungeol’s phone. Although there was a sit-up board on the second floor, Yoochan started doing push-ups right there, with Jungeol holding his feet and counting.

“Three, four…”

“Ha, ha, I’m good, right? Ha, so fast, right?”

“Nine, ten, yeah, fast… eleven…”

Yoochan grinned at Jungeol, who steadied him, and kept going without stopping. When he reached 58, the timer went off. Yoochan sprawled out, panting.

Jungeol rested his chin on Yoochan’s knee, looking down at him affectionately. Yoochan caught his breath and looked at Jungeol, then suddenly remembered something.

“Hyung, when do you have a day off? Let’s go out and have fun.”

“Next week, I have a weekday off. Why, is there somewhere you want to go?”

“Of course!” Yoochan’s eyes widened with excitement. “First, we have to go to an escape room café, and we should go to a PC bang too. I want to go to an onsen and a manhwabang with Hyung. And since you mentioned mountain biking, I want to try that too. Later, we should go night fishing, buy matching couple sneakers, and also… oh, never mind.”

Yoochan trailed off, realizing he’d almost mentioned the tattoo again. He looked down, avoiding Jungeol’s gaze, and traced patterns on the floor with his finger. Jungeol, noticing Yoochan’s sudden change in demeanor, raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue.

“Anyway, I want to do all those things with you, Hyung. Everything. I’ve even made a bucket list. I’ll show you later.”

Jungeol’s delicate gaze, which had been watching Yoochan, shifted to the second-floor railing and then back to Yoochan.

“…Is a couple tattoo on your bucket list too?”

“What?”

Yoochan’s eyes shook violently. He awkwardly smiled and said.

“No? I mean, it’s not that I don’t want to, I do want to, but if it’s too much for you, Hyung, we don’t have to worry about the couple tattoo. It’s not like I desperately want it…”

Though he pretended not to care, he couldn’t hide his flustered expression. Jungeol, still holding Yoochan’s knee, leaned closer. Yoochan, blinking in confusion, finally understood Jungeol’s intention and offered a quick kiss. As their lips briefly touched and parted, Jungeol smiled and said.

“Do you want it, or does it not matter?”

“Well…”

“It’s okay, be honest.”

Under Jungeol’s serious gaze, Yoochan furrowed his brows in thought and then mumbled, “I want it.” Jungeol’s eyes softened, and he gave an unexpected response.

“Shall we?”

“…What? Really?”

Thinking he had misheard, Yoochan asked in surprise. Despite saying it wasn’t a big deal, Yoochan’s face lit up like a light bulb. Jungeol laughed and added.

“But think about it for another three or four months.”

Yoochan’s excited expression quickly turned gloomy at the added condition.

“If you’re going to do it anyway, can’t we do it in a month? Three or four months is too long.”

“A month is too short. You know more people regret couple tattoos than solo ones, right?”

“Then can you at least tattoo your name on me first? Just the initials are fine. I won’t ask you to get one.”

Despite Jungeol’s promise to do it later, Yoochan’s insistence on doing it immediately made Jungeol narrow his eyes suspiciously. Yoochan hesitated under the scrutinizing gaze and finally confessed.

“I’ve been secretly practicing tattooing your name on pigskin with a machine. If you won’t do it, I was going to do it on myself. But no matter how much I practice, it looks crooked and ugly. So I’d like you to do it on me.”

“I said I’ll do it. Take your time and think about the design. If you’re still sure later, I won’t stop you.”

Yoochan, looking troubled, scratched the floor with his nails. Jungeol tilted his head and looked up at Yoochan. Yoochan, biting his lower lip, hesitated for a long time before finally speaking with determination.

“I’m going to the military, Hyung.”

Yoochan glanced at the time on Jungeol’s phone, unable to look him in the eye, and added.

“There’s less than two months left. So I can’t wait three or four months.”

There was no calm and gentle response. Seeing Jungeol’s shocked and speechless expression, Yoochan hung his head like a guilty person. Jungeol, stunned, opened and closed his mouth several times before lowering his arms and patting his pockets. Yoochan recognized the gesture of searching for a cigarette.

“You want to smoke right now, don’t you?”

“No.”

Jungeol replied as if it was nothing. But his repeatedly clenching and unclenching fists suggested otherwise. Yoochan suddenly stood up and offered his hand to Jungeol. As soon as Jungeol took his hand and stood up, Yoochan spoke.

“I didn’t tell you because I thought you’d smoke too much if you knew. There’s another elevator inside the emergency exit on this line. Next to that elevator is an empty office where residents smoke. The security guard and the guy next door use it too.”

There was no time for jokes about when Yoochan had befriended the guy next door. Jungeol, who had been trying to cut down on smoking around Yoochan recently, hesitated but eventually agreed.

“I’ll be back in a bit.”

Watching Jungeol take out a cigarette and stand up, Yoochan climbed onto the sofa. Gaang, who had just woken up, stumbled into the living room and headed straight for Yoochan. Yoochan petted Gaang’s fur and looked worriedly at the door.

The cigarette filter fell into the ashtray. Jungeol, who had been about to return to the room, took out another cigarette and lit it. Troubled by Yoochan’s impending enlistment, Jungeol smoked several cigarettes in a row. Just then, the smoking room door opened.

Jungeol, with a cigarette between his fingers, turned around. Before he could even see the face, the other person slid in and hugged Jungeol tightly.

As the stiff hair brushed against his cheek, Jungeol stubbed out the cigarette he hadn’t finished in the ashtray and placed his hand on Yoochan’s back. Yoochan, with his face buried in Jungeol’s shoulder, spoke.

“Hyung, when I decided to go to the military after just one semester, I never worried about it. I thought it would be fun.”

“……”

“But now that I’m dating you, I regret applying early. Seeing you upset makes me upset too.”

Feeling Jungeol’s hand gently stroking his back, Yoochan lifted his head and asked.

“Are you really upset?”

Jungeol shook his head, relaxed his expression, and smiled.

“No, it’s okay.”

“…Were you very surprised?”

“A little. I thought you were going sooner than expected.”

Yoochan, feeling more cheerful, said.

“I’ve thought about it, and let’s forget about the couple tattoo. I was just practicing because I felt like it, so don’t worry about it. But you have to go to the escape room cafe with me. I can’t compromise on that.”

Seeing Yoochan pretending to be okay and changing the subject to avoid worrying him, Jungeol couldn’t smile comfortably.

Jungeol looked down at Yoochan for a moment, then tilted his head and kissed him. Yoochan, surprised by the sudden kiss, pulled Jungeol closer and responded eagerly.

Even as their sweet tongues intertwined, the thought that they only had two months left made Yoochan feel a pang of regret. Jungeol lowered his arms and pulled Yoochan deeper into his embrace.

After having lunch at a restaurant near the studio apartment, Jungeol drove Yoochan to the place where he was meeting his friends. Arriving at work later than usual with Gaang, Jungeol immediately spoke to the Manager.

“What? You want to change your schedule? For how long? Weekdays? Weekends?”

The Manager, with a toothbrush in her mouth, asked in surprise. Jungeol said it didn’t matter. Since Yoochan was on vacation, weekdays or weekends were the same.

“Hold on, let’s see…”

The Manager spat out the toothpaste into the bathroom sink, rinsed her mouth roughly, and looked at the schedule board.

“There are a lot of people asking to move up their appointments if there’s an opening, so I can make a day off for you. But your schedule will be tighter, and you won’t even have time to smoke except on your day off. You’ll have to start working from early morning.”

The Manager, holding a marker to her chin, spoke with concern. Jungeol said it was fine and asked to free up as much time as possible for Choi Daehan. The Manager tilted her head but agreed and picked up her phone.

While the Manager called clients to adjust the schedule, Jungeol texted Yoochan. Yoochan, who had been checking his phone even while meeting friends, quickly called back.

[You want my entire bucket list? Now?]

“Yeah. Send it.”

[Are you really going to do all of it?]

His voice already sounded excited. Jungeol, holding his phone, walked into the smoking room and said.

“Yeah, let’s do as much as we can.”

[Ah, the list is at home. I’ll send it when I get back. But we’re definitely doing the escape room game.]

“Okay.”

Jungeol, smiling, sat on the smoking room sofa, leaned back, and asked.

“Aren’t you with your friends? Shouldn’t you hang up?”

[Not everyone is here yet, so it’s okay. We’re planning a surprise birthday party for Yeji. She’s really sharp, so we met separately to avoid her finding out.]

Nodding, Jungeol listened to Yoochan’s everyday chatter and then suddenly remembered something.

“I meant to tell you earlier, but I saw the machine in the storage cabinet while looking for exercise equipment early this morning.”

[Oh, really? I wondered if you hadn’t seen it since we were together.]

“Why did you buy four machines?”

[Ah… don’t get me started, Hyung. At first, I didn’t know much, so I bought the best-selling one.]

Yoochan, seemingly having a lot to say, started talking rapidly without pausing for breath.

[Then I found out there are customizable ones. A machine just for me, it sounded so cool. So I bought that too and got pigskin to practice on, but it didn’t work. I thought it was broken, so I ordered a new one, but that didn’t work either. Turns out you have to buy the ink separately. They should have mentioned that in the product description. So I had to buy the ink too. Honestly, it was so frustrating not being able to tell you, Hyung. It was really tough.]